Two Men Sitting with a Table, or the Smokers 

Honoré Daumier’s painting, *Two Men Sitting with a Table*, or *The Smokers*, is made with oil on canvas. The rough, textured brushstrokes and muted colors, especially the blacks, browns, and grays, give the painting a somber, almost gritty feel. You can almost smell the tobacco smoke, heavy in the air. Look closely, and you'll see the table is littered with the tools of leisure: a wine bottle, glasses, and of course, tobacco. Daumier was known for his social commentary, often depicting the lives of ordinary people, and in this work, the artist captures a moment of quiet contemplation, or perhaps boredom. We are shown two men, maybe workers, in a break from their labor. The scene suggests the hard work of 19th-century Paris, where small pleasures were hard-won. Daumier avoids any sense of glamour, focusing instead on the palpable atmosphere of the everyday. By highlighting the ordinary, he elevates the dignity of labor, reminding us that art can be found in the most unexpected places.